Vehicle throttle control



March 14, 1967 B. WALKER 3,308,67

VEHICLE THROTTLE CONTROL Original Filed Dec. 13, 1961 9 c s5 1 lo 37 e2 45 Fig. 2. 9

United States Patent 3,308,678 VEHICLE THROTTLE CONTROL Brooks Walker, 1280 Columbus Ave.,

San Francisco, Calif. 94133 Continuation of application Ser. No. 159,091, Dec. 13, 1961. This application Sept. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 489,738 7 Claims. (Cl. 74-472) This application is a continuation of my copending application, Ser. No. 159,091 now abandoned, filed Dec. 13, 1961.

This invention pertains to a throttle control for a vehicle involving a smog control type carburetor, such as is shown in issued US. Patent No. 2,809,632 to F. V. Hall, in which a soft link is necessary between the throttle pedal and the carburetor so that the resistance of the dash pot will not be overcome too vigorously by heavy foot pressure on the foot throttle. In vehicles involving an automatic transmission, a linkage between the automatic transmission shaft control and the position of the carburetor butterfly should be kept ina positive relationship independent of the variable length of the soft link portion of the throttle operating linkage. In order to accomplish this, this invention places the soft link between the foot throttle and the linkage between the throttle butterfly and the transmission shift mechanism so that the compression of the soft link does not change the mechanical relationship between the transmission shift and the throttle butterfly.

Other features of the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the accompanying specification and claims.

I have illustrated my invention in the attached draw ings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation, partly cut away, of a preferred form of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly cut away, of an alternate form of the invention.

In all figures like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts.

In FIG. 1 I have shown a fire wall 10 which separates the engine from the drivers compartment, a foot throttle pivoted by pin 12 to hearing 12a secured to the fire wall or floor boards 10. A pivoted rocker 13 bears on its right end, as viewed in FIG. 1, against the under side of the throttle pedal 11. End 13a of rocker 13 has a forked end which carries pin 26 and block 25 supported between the forked ends of arm 13a. Smooth shaft 15 slides through block 25. Shaft 15 carries collar 17 suitably secured to the lower end of rod 15. Spring 18 is carried on the outside of rod 15 and butts at its lower end against block 25 and at its upper end against collar 16, which is adjustable vertically on rod 15 by set screw 16a. Pin 19 connects the upper end of rod 15 in a swingable relation with rocker arm 20. Spring 27 is secured to rocker arm 20 at hole 20a and to bracket 28 which is secured to the engine 8. End 20b of rocker arm 20 pivotally supports rod 21 at the upper end of rod 21. The lower end of rod 21 is secured to arm 22 of transmission 9. Arm 22 controls the shifting of some of the ratios controlled by transmission 9 between engine 8 and the vehicle drive shaft which is not shown. Arm 22 is secured to rod 22a which enters the transmission and controls the shifting in a convention manner.

Another hole farther out in arm 20b supports throttle rod 32 at its right end, as viewed in FIG. 1. The left end of rod 32 is secured to the carburetor throttle arm 31 of carburetor 30 through block 31a. Block 31a is pivoted to butterfly shaft 31 and supports the left-hand end of rod 32. A dash pot 33 may be a similar construction to that shown in my copending US. patent application, Ser. No. 183, 185 now Patent No. 3,216,692, issued Nov. 9,

3,308,678 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 1965, or constructed as a dash pot along the lines of that shown in FIG. 1 of Vanderpool No. 2,129,610, which made use of a straight or step piston as in FIG. 8 of Hall No. 2,809,632. Dash pot 33 carries arm 34 and pin 35 which supports the left end of rod 23. The right end of rod 23 is pivotally supported on block 31a. When the driver suddenly accelerates by pressing throttle pedal 11 down to the floor, block 25 will ride up shaft 15 compressing spring 18. Arm 20 will rotate counter-clockwise a partial revolution which would be resisted by throttle return spring 27 that is anchored at its upper end to hole 20a in arm 20. Its lower end is secured to engine bracket 28.

The motion of rod 23 to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1 (as a result of flooring throttle 11 suddenly) is restricted by the action of dash pot 33 which has control arm 34 extending therefrom. Pin 35 supports the left hand end of the tie link 23. The right end of tie link 23 is supported in pivot block 31a. This resistance of dash pot 33 through its associated linkage allows throttle shaft 31 to move at a controlled rate which is considerably longer than instantaneous movement and at the same time maintains the mechanical relationship between arm 31 and arm 22 of the vehicle transmission. When the driver tries to hot rod his car by tromping up and down on the throttle in rapid succession, soft link 15 will compress during one down stroke and yield very rapidly in the opposite direction of throttle motion so as to prevent throttle butterfly pumping and maintain the mechanical relationship between the throttle butterfly and the transmission shift while still allowing the throttle pedal 11 to be pumped. Thus, a very rapid flooring of the throttle pedal 11 will result in a rapid compression of spring 18 and only a relatively slower motion of the butterfly in the carburetor 30, compared to what there would have been if no soft link were used.

In FIG. 2 throttle pedal 50 is pivoted on rod 52 which is carried in bearings 53 mounted on the vehicle floor boards 10. As throttle pedal 50 is depressed, arm 50a moves downward pulling on crooked arm 47. Spring 60 is mounted over rod 48. Spring 60 is mounted over rod 48 which is slidably mounted through holes in end 47a and the parallel center portion of crooked arm 47. Collar 49 is secured to rod 48 by a set screw or pin 49a. A cotter pin 55 goes through the lower end of rod 48 so that the-lower end cannot pull through the hole in the center portion of crooked arm 47. Pin 46 connects rod 48 to arm 44a of hell crank 44. Pin 43 connects rod 38 to block 62 on butterfly arm 61 of carburetor 63. Tie rod 37 connects block 62 to arm 36 of dash pot 33 by pin 35. When foot pedal 50 is suddenly floored, arm 50a pulls on crooked link 47 which compresses spring 60 between collar 49 and end 47a of crooked arm 47 as crooked arm 47 moves down rapidly.

The push spring 60 on collar 49 pulls on bell crank 44 in a counter-clockwise direction. The resistance to rapid motion offered by dash pot 33 is transmitted by rods 37 and 38 to hell crank 44. After foot pedal 50 is floored and spring 60 compressed, spring 60 expands as rapidly as the dash pot 33 will allow and such expansion of spring 60 results in opening of throttle arm 61 at a prescribed rate while still maintaining the relationship between carburetor throttle arm 61 and transmission arm 51 regardless of the position of throttle pedal 50. This is due to tie link 56 which connects pin 46 to pin 52 at the end of transmission arm 51 which is secured to transmission shift 55. By this means the linkage between the transmission arm 51 and the throttle butterfly control arm 61 is unaffected by the compression of spring 60 in the soft link between arm 50a and pin 46.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. A throttle control linkage adapted to be used with a vehicle having an automatic transmission with a shift control lever and a carburetor having a throttle and a throttle control device, said throttle control linkage comprising a first linkage means adapted to be connected to said shift control lever and said throttle control device, a throttle control foot pedal, a second linkage means connected to said foot pedal and to said first linkage means at a point intermediate said throttle control device and said shift control lever, a dash pot operatively connected to said first linkage means for delaying the opening movement of said carburetor throttle when said pedal is moved suddenly to open the throttle, said second linkage means including a soft link, said soft link being operatively interposed in said second linkage means betweensaid foot pedal and said first linkage means whereby said foot pedal can be suddenly fully depressed while said dash pot resistance to sudden motion will delay the throttle opening and said first linkage means will maintain the relationship between the throttle control device and said automatic transmission shift control lever independently of the changes in relationship between the position of said foot pedal and the position of said throttle control device.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, said first linkage means including a rigid member adapted to be attached to said throttle control device, said second linkage means including a rigid member operatively connected to said foot pedal and said first linkage means. a

3. A structure as defined in claim 1 said first linkage means including a rigid rod with a longitudinal motion to control the opening and closing of said throttle, said sec- 0nd linkage means being connected to said rod to transmit motion from said foot pedal to said throttle control device and said automatic transmission shift control lever.

4. A structure as defined in claim 1 said first linkage means comprising a plurality of connected links, said second linkage means comprising a plurality of connected links, one of said links being common to said first linkage means and also to said second linkage means.

5. A structure as described in claim 1, a bell crank, said first linkage means including said bell crank, said second linkage means including said same bell crank.

6. A throttle control linkage adapted to be used with a vehicle having an automatic transmission with a shift control device, and a carburetor having a throttle control device, said throttle control linkage comprising a first linkage means adapted to be conected to said shift control device and said throttle control device, a throttle control foot pedal, a second linkage means connected to said foot pedal and said first linkage means at a point intermediate said throttle control device and said shift control device, a dash pot operatively connected to said first linkage means, said second linkage means including a soft link, said soft link interposed in said second linkage means whereby said foot pedal can be suddenly fully depressed While said dash pot resistance to sudden motion will delay the throttle opening and said second linkage means will maintain the relationship between the throttle control device and said automatic transmission shift control device independently of the changesin relationship between the position of said foot pedal and the position of said throttle control device.

'7. A throttle control linkage for use with a vehicle having an automatic transmission with a shift control lever and a carburetor having a throttle control lever comprising, a first linkage means connecting said levers and a manual control means operatively connected to said throttle control lever, said manual control means comprising a pedal, a second linkage means operatively connected to said throttle control lever and said pedal and further comprising a time delay means operatively connected to said manual control means whereby a fast full opening movement of said pedal will result in a slower delayed rate of opening movement of said throttle control lever.

MI LTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner.

'PALMER W. SULLIVAN, Examiner. 

1. A THROTTLE CONTROL LINKAGE ADAPTED TO BE USED WITH A VEHICLE HAVING AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH A SHIFT CONTROL LEVER AND A CARBURETOR HAVING A THROTTLE AND A THROTTLE CONTROL DEVICE, SAID THROTTLE CONTROL LINKAGE COMPRISING A FIRST LINKAGE MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO SAID SHIFT CONTROL LEVER AND SAID THROTTLE CONTROL DEVICE, A THROTTLE CONTROL FOOT PEDAL, A SECOND LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FOOT PEDAL AND TO SAID FIRST LINKAGE MEANS AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE SAID THROTTLE CONTROL DEVICE AND SAID SHIFT CONTROL LEVER, A DASH POT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST LINKAGE MEANS FOR DELAYING THE OPENING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARBURETOR THROTTLE WHEN SAID PEDAL IS MOVED SUDDENLY TO OPEN THE THROTTLE, SAID SECOND LINKAGE MEANS INCLUDING A SOFT LINK, SAID SOFT LINK BEING OPERATIVELY INTERPOSED IN SAID SECOND LINKAGE MEANS BETWEEN SAID FOOT PEDAL AND SAID FIRST LINKAGE MEANS WHEREBY SAID FOOT PEDAL CAN BE SUDDENLY FULLY DEPRESSED WHILE SAID DASH POT RESISTANCE TO SUDDEN MOTION WILL DELAY THE THROTTLE OPENING AND SAID FIRST LINKAGE MEANS WILL MAINTAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THROTTLE CONTROL DEVICE AND SAID AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL LEVER INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CHANGES IN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POSITION OF SAID FOOT PEDAL AND THE POSITION OF SAID THROTTLE CONTROL DEVICE. 